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Yolonda Ross
Yolonda Ross is an American actress, writer and director. Life and career Ross was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. She began her acting career in New York, appearing in the episodes of television series ''New York Undercover'' and ''Third Watch''. Before landing the leading role in the independent drama film, ''Stranger Inside'' (2001). The movie produced by HBO, first premiered on television, but Ross was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance. She later had supporting roles in a number of independent productions and guest-starred on ''Law & Order'' and ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'', and in 2011 had a recurring role of HBO's '' Treme''. Ross co-starred alongside LisaGay Hamilton in the critically acclaimed 2013 independent drama film, ''Go for Sisters''. She received Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female nomination for her performance in film. She later was cast opposite Viola Davis in ''Lila & Eve''. In 2015, Ross played Robyn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city, Omaha's 2020 census population was 486,051. Omaha is the anchor of the eight-county, bi-state Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area. The Omaha Metropolitan Area is the 58th-largest in the United States, with a population of 967,604. The Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA Combined Statistical Area (CSA) totaled 1,004,771, according to 2020 estimates. Approximately 1.5 million people reside within the Greater Omaha area, within a radius of Downtown Omaha. It is ranked as a global city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network, which in 2020 gave it "sufficiency" status. Omaha's pioneer period began in 1854, when the city was founded by speculators from neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa. The city was founded along th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Angela Bassett
Angela Evelyn Bassett (born August 16, 1958) is an American actress. She had her breakthrough with her portrayal of singer Tina Turner in the biopic ''What's Love Got to Do with It'' (1993), which garnered her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She went on to star in numerous acclaimed and successful films, including as Betty Shabazz in both ''Malcolm X'' (1992) and ''Panther'' (1995), as Katherine Jackson in '' The Jacksons: An American Dream'' (1992), as Voletta Wallace in '' Notorious'' (2009), as Amanda Waller in ''Green Lantern'' (2011), and as Coretta Scott King in ''Betty & Coretta'' (2013). Her other notable film roles include Bernandine Harris in ''Waiting to Exhale'' (1995), Rachel Constantine in ''Contact'' (1997), Stella Payne in ''How Stella Got Her Groove Back'' (1998), Janet Williams in ''Music of the Heart'' (1999), Lynne Jacobs in '' Olympus Has Fallen'' (2013) and ''London Has Fallen'' (2016), and Queen Ramonda in '' Black Panther'' (2018), '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Four (2012 Film)
''Four'' is a 2012 American independent feature film written and directed by Joshua Sanchez. It is based on the 1998 play of the same name by Christopher Shinn. The film stars Wendell Pierce, Emory Cohen, Aja Naomi King and E.J. Bonilla. The film premiered at the 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival where its ensemble cast won the top acting award. E.J. Bonilla received an Imagen Award nomination for his performance and Wendell Pierce received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for his performance. Cast * Wendell Pierce as Joe * Emory Cohen as June * Aja Naomi King as Abigayle * E.J. Bonilla as Dexter * Yolonda Ross as Abigayle's Mother * Liam Benzvi as Todd * Kathryn Meisle as June's Mom Production ''Four'' took over five years to make and the film started several times before it was actually made. Sanchez met Christopher Shinn in 2003 while he was working for an online magazine and was assigned to interview Shinn. Sanchez had read all of Shinn's plays as research for the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yelling To The Sky
''Yelling to the Sky'' is a 2011 American drama film written and directed by Victoria Mahoney and starring Zoë Kravitz. The film premiered In Competition at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival, where it competed for the Golden Bear. Plot The film starts out with quiet, studious, high schooler, Sweetness O'Hara riding her bike with a friend down the street, when neighborhood bully Latonya, her boyfriend, and friends begins picking on her. The boyfriend threatens to take her bike, unless she can beat him in a race to a tree down the street. Sweetness agrees, taking off running. The bully comes up behind her and pushes her to the ground, proceeding to kick her. Sweetness' older, pregnant sister, Ola, comes to her rescue, beating up the bully. The girls return home to their emotionally unstable mother, Lorene, and caring, but violent father, Gordon. After an altercation between the parents, Lorene takes off, telling Sweetness she would return. Gordon takes off as well, with ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Whatever Works
''Whatever Works'' is a 2009 American comedy film directed and written by Woody Allen and starring Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson, Ed Begley Jr., Michael McKean, and Henry Cavill. It was released on June 19, 2009, received mixed reviews and grossed $35 million. Plot Boris Yelnikoff is a cynical, misanthropic chess teacher and former Columbia quantum mechanics professor. Divorced, he avoids most people, and except for three friends and his students, is patronizing to anyone he meets who doesn't match him intellectually. He also spends much of the film washing his hands, while singing the song, " Happy Birthday". Boris comes home one night to find Melody, a simpleminded 21-year-old, on his doorstep. He reluctantly helps her, and she soon tells him her story. Melody turns out to have a distinctly Southern background, with fundamentalist parents in Mississippi, from whom she's run away. She asks if she can stay the night, which Boris eventually allows. While s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Choke (2008 Film)
''Choke'' is a 2008 American black comedy film written and directed by Clark Gregg. The film stars Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston. Production took place in New Jersey in 2007. It premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and was purchased by Fox Searchlight Pictures for distribution. The film was released on September 26, 2008 and the DVD was released on February 17, 2009. Choke is based on the 2001 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. It tells the story of a man who works in a colonial theme park, attends sexual addiction recovery meetings, and intentionally chokes on food in upscale restaurants so his "rescuers" would give him money out of sympathy and thus cover his mother's Alzheimer's disease hospital bills. Plot Victor Mancini is a sex addict who works as a reenactor of life in Colonial America. He works with his best friend, Denny, who is also a reformed sex addict. To support his hospitalized mother, Ida, Victor cons others by intentionally choking at restaur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
I'm Not There
''I'm Not There'' is a 2007 musical drama film directed by Todd Haynes, and co-written by Haynes and Oren Moverman. It is an unconventional biographical film inspired by the life and music of American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Six actors depict different facets of Dylan's public personas: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger (his final film to be released during his lifetime), and Ben Whishaw. A caption at the start of the film declares it to be "inspired by the music and the many lives of Bob Dylan"; this is the only mention of Dylan in the film apart from song credits, and his only appearance in it is concert footage from 1966 shown during the film's final moments. ''I'm Not There'' tells its story using non-traditional narrative techniques, intercutting the storylines of seven different Dylan-inspired characters. The title of the film is taken from the 1967 Dylan '' Basement Tape'' recording of "I'm Not There", a song that had ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gardener Of Eden
''Gardener of Eden'' is a 2007 American comedy-drama film directed by Kevin Connolly. It stars Lukas Haas, Erika Christensen and Giovanni Ribisi. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and was Connolly's directorial debut. It was produced by his friend Leonardo DiCaprio. Plot Adam Harris, a twenty-something college dropout, returns to his hometown, the fictional "Bickleton" in New Jersey, and moves back in with his parents. Lacking real direction in his life, Adam spends his time working at a local deli and hanging out with his equally unambitious friends. Adam soon finds himself unemployed and cut off by his friends. Adam's life changes dramatically when he accidentally captures a serial rapist named Richard Pope who has just attacked a local girl, Mona Hukley. The new-found attention inspires him to become a vigilante. Cast Release ''Gardener of Eden'' premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 26, 2007. After the film was shown, Connolly gave a short-lived ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Slippery Slope
A slippery slope argument (SSA), in logic, critical thinking, political rhetoric, and caselaw, is an argument in which a party asserts that a relatively small first step leads to a chain of related events culminating in some significant (usually negative) effect. The core of the slippery slope argument is that a specific decision under debate is likely to result in unintended consequences. The strength of such an argument depends on whether the small step really is likely to lead to the effect. This is quantified in terms of what is known as the warrant (in this case, a demonstration of the process that leads to the significant effect). This type of argument is sometimes used as a form of fearmongering in which the probable consequences of a given action are exaggerated in an attempt to scare the audience. However, differentiation is necessary, since, in other cases, it might be demonstrable that the small step is likely to lead to an effect. The fallacious sense of "slippery ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shortbus
''Shortbus'' is a 2006 American erotic comedy-drama film written and directed by John Cameron Mitchell. The plot revolves around a sexually diverse ensemble of colorful characters trying desperately to connect in an early 2000s New York City. The characters converge in a weekly Brooklyn artistic/sexual salon loosely inspired by various underground NYC gatherings that took place in the early 2000s. According to Mitchell, the film attempts to "employ sex in new cinematic ways because it's too interesting to leave to porn." ''Shortbus'' includes a variety of explicit scenes containing non-simulated sexual intercourse with visible penetration and male ejaculation. Plot In New York City, Sofia Lin, a couples counselor/sex therapist, is married to the handsome but unambitious and slightly dim-witted Rob. She comes into contact with a couple: slightly egotistical former child star Jamie and former sex worker James, the film's other lead character. At the outset, James suggests to his ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mind The Gap (2004 Film)
''Mind the Gap'' is a 2004 American multi-story comedy-drama film, written and directed by Eric Schaeffer. The film moves back and forth between five separate stories that interconnect with each other by the end of the film. The film stars Elizabeth Reaser, Eric Schaeffer, Jill Sobule, Charles Parnell, John Heard, Vera Farmiga, and Alan King in his last film role. Plot Five New Yorkers come to terms with the bitter-sweet reality of life in this collection of intertwined stories. Single dad Sam (Eric Schaeffer) struggles to raise his son; elderly Herb (Alan King) honors a deceased friend with a perilous act; musician Jody (Jill Sobule) worries what heartache will do to her pacemaker; free-spirited Malissa (Elizabeth Reaser) cares for her sick mother; and John ( Charles Parnell) reels from his failed marriage. Cast * Alan King as Herb Schweitzer * Elizabeth Reaser as Malissa Zubach * Charles Parnell as John McCabe * Eric Schaeffer as Sam Blue * Jill Sobule as Jody Buller * John ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The United States Of Leland
''The United States of Leland'' is a 2003 American drama film written and directed by Matthew Ryan Hoge that follows a meek teenage boy, the eponymous Leland, who has inexplicably committed a shocking murder. In the wake of the killing, his teacher in prison tries to understand the senseless crime, while the families of the victim and the perpetrator struggle to cope with the aftermath. Plot The film begins with a flashback narrated by Leland P. Fitzgerald, describing how he could not remember the details of the day that he killed an intellectually disabled boy named Ryan Pollard. Leland is arrested. Ryan's parents, Harry and Karen, sisters Becky and Julie, and Julie's live-in boyfriend Allen grieve the loss of their loved one. Leland's divorced mother, Marybeth, is desperate to see her son, while his father, famous writer Albert Fitzgerald, discovers his son's fate in a newspaper and returns home to be there for the trial. While in juvenile hall, Leland is schooled by teacher Pe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
